Escapement for clocks and watches



April 7, 1953 B. STONE 2,633,695

ESCAPEMENT FOR CLOCKS AND WATCHES Filed Feb. 4. 1952 INVENTOR. LUCIEN BEDELL smus, DECEASED. av FLORA s. STONE, YEXECU'I'RI B Patented Apr. 7,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ESCAPEMENT FOR CLOCKS AND WATCHES Lucien Bedell Stone, deceased, late of Summit, N. J., by Flora. S. Stone, executrix, Summit,

Application February 4, 1952, Serial No. 269,834

4 Claims. (01. 58-28) This invention relates to an improved escapement for clocks and watches, it being one object of the invention to provide an escapement wherein rotation of the escape wheel is controlled by a disk mounted upon the balance wheel shaft, the disk having a marginal portion formed with an opening through which the teeth of the escape wheel successively pass and wherein the oscillating disk moves back and forth through Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective ,of the escape wheel and the balance shaft disk.

This improved escapement constitutes a portion of the works of a clock or watch which includes the usual train or gearing. The train of gearing has not been illustrated in detail as it is of a conventional construction. The balance wheel shaft 1 is rotatably mounted for oscillating movement and has one end portion tapered to provide a terminal portion 2 which is mounted in the bearing 3 of the plate 4. Adjacent this shaft is disposed a shaft 5 which is rotatably mounted through bearing brackets 6 and dis posed at right angles to the balance wheel shaft 5 in crossing relation thereto. An escape wheel ofiset longitudinally of the collar.

'1 is fixed upon the shaft 5 between the bearings 6, and this wheel carries a plurality of teeth 8 which project from the peripheral edge face of the wheel radially thereof and are evenly spaced from each other circumferentially thereof. These teeth have flat side faces and the teeth are so mounted upon the wheel that each tooth has pairs of side faces presented circumferentially of the wheel with the side faces of each pair space between the said teeth and serves very ef- 19 converging and intersecting, as shown in Figfectively to prevent undue rotation of the escape:- ure 3. .ment wheel. In order to control rotation of the escape Another object of the invention is to provide wheel and the shaft 5 carrying the same, there an escapement mechanism wherein the balance has been provided an escapement disk 9 which wheel shaft carries levees having cam action en- 35 is fixedly mounted upon the balance wheel shaft gagement with the teeth of the escape wheel I and disposed close to the escape wheel 7. The and thus cause the escape wheel and the balance disk is of concavo-convexed formation with its wheel shaft to turn in predetermined relation to concaved surface presented towards the escape each other. wheel and about its peripheral edge, the disk is Another object of the invention is to provide. formed with a marginal flange ID of such width an escapement mechanism of such construction that it fits between teeth of the escape wheel that it prevents the works of a clock or watch and will serve very effectively to prevent rotation from being subjected to a slip-through which of the escape wheel and its shaft 5 unless a slot is objectionable, as a slip-through will prevent 0 pe ll formed through the fla ge is in accurate operation of the clock or watch. position to permit passage of the teeth through Another object of the invention is to provide When the c wo is running, the a ance an improved escapement mechanism which is of Wheel shaft I is oscillated and as the disk is simple construction and not liable to be broken fi d o this s a the p ll moved back or get out of proper running order. and forth between teeth of the escape wheel and With these and other objects in iew, the in- 30 thus iS intermittently moved into and out Of posivention consists of an improved construction and tiOh for p s a th t ou h it. There arrangement of parts, one practical embodiment fore, the teeth successively move through t e of which is illustrated in the accompanying draw- Op in t e flange Of the disk but can not i h i have such movement if the opening or slot is Figure 1 is aplan view of the improved escape- 35 not directly under a tooth. It will thus be ment mechanism, some of the teeth of the escape seen that e teeth f e cape wheel may be wheel being omitted for sake of clearness. disposed at rest a st the an e of the disk Figure 2 is a side elevation of the escapement, t one side the other of e Opening it and the disk carried by the balance wheel shaft 51119 through the Opening causing oscillating beingshown in Section; and 40 movement of the disk. Rotation of the escape wheel and its shaft will thus be very effectively controlled.

A collar i2 is formed about the shaft 5 and this collar carries levees 13 which project laterally from the collar in the direction of the shaft 5. These lugs or levees are spaced from each other circumferentially of the collar so that they are located at opposite sides of the escape wheel and its teeth and in addition are Inner side faces of the levees are at an oblique angle to the length of the shaft 5 with the diagonally extending inner side face of each levee sloping in a direction opposite to that of the other levee. Therefore, during rotation of the balance wheel shaft, a cam action will take place as the levees move across the diagonally disposed side faces of the teeth 8 and the escape wheel will be pushed by action of the levees and turn in proper timed relation to movements of the balance wheel shaft. The balance wheel shaft moves in conjunction with the hair spring of the clock works. As the balance wheel turns first to the right and then to the left, the teeth of the escape wheel drop or pass one at a time through the slot of the concaved disk and between such dropping movements they rest one at a time against the flange of the disk. Accurate intermittent turning movements are, thereforefimparte'd to the, escape wheel and its shaft and the clock or watch will keep accurate time,

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved escapement for clocks and watches, the assembly and operation thereof will be readily understood, and it will be, seen that I have provided a. simple, inexpensive and efficient means for carrying out the various objects of the invention'.' While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set"forth,'it is apparent that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: "1. In an escapement mechanism for clockworks, a rotatably mounted balance wheel shaft, an escapement wheel having a shaft rotatably mounted and extending transversely of the balance wheel shaft in crossing relation thereto, said escapement wheel having teeth projecting from its peripheral edge face, each tooth being formed with side faces converging and intersecting in the direction of the circumference of the wheel. an escapement disk carried by said balance wheel shaftand having a flange about its periphery extending towards the escapement wheel and formed with a slot movable back and forth across the edge face of the escapement wheel into and out of position for passage of the teeth through the slot during oscillating movement of the disk, a, collar about said balance wheel shaft, and levees extending laterally from said collar towards the escapement wheel and spaced from each other circumferentially of the collar and disposed at opposite sides of the, escapement wheel and offset from each other longitudinally of the balance wheel shaft and having beveled inner side'faces constituting cam surfaces engageable with the converging side faces of said teeth during rocking movement of the balance wheel shaft and rotation of the escapement wheel shaft.

2. In an escapement mechanism for clockworks, a balance wheel shaft, an escapement disk rigidly mounted about said shaft to turn therewith and about its marginal edge having a flange formed with a slot, an escapement wheel having a shaft rotatably mounted in crossing relation to the balance wheel shaft, said wheel having radially extending teeth individually and successively moving through the slot during turning of the escapement wheel and its shaft, and levees projecting laterally from said balance wheel shaft at opposite sides of the escapement wheel, said levees and the teeth of the escapement wheel having cam surfaces cooperating with each other for imparting rocking motion to the balance wheel shaft and thereby moving the slot into and-out of position for passage of the teeth through the slot.

3. In an escapement mechanism for clockworks, a balance wheel shaft, an escapement disk rigidly mounted about said shaft to turn therewith and about its marginal edge having a flange formed with a slot, an "escapement wheel having a shaft rotatably mounted in crossing relation to the balance wheel shaft, said wheel having radiallyextending teeth individually and successively moving through the slot during. turning of the escapement wheel and its shaft, and levees projecting laterally from said balance wheel shaft at opposite sides'of the escapement wheel and engageable with the said teeth for imparting rocking motion to the balance wheel shaft and moving'the escapement disk back and forth into and out of position for passage. of the teeth through the slot during rotation of the escapement wheel and its shaft.

4. In an escapement mechanism for clockworks, a balance wheel shaft, an escapement disk rigidly mounted about said shaft to turn therewith and about its marginal edge having a flange formed with a slot, an escapement. wheel having a shaft rotatably mounted in crossing relation to the balance wheel shaft, said wheel having radially extending teeth individually and successively moving through the slot during turning of the escapement wheel and its shaft, and cam members associated with the balance wheel shaft and disposed in cooperating relation to the slot and being engageable with the teeth for effecting movement of the disk into. and out of position forv allowing passage of the teeth through the slot during rotation of the escapement wheel and its, shaft.

FLOR-A. S. STQN'El. Easecutriz: of the estate of Lucien Bedell Stone,

deceased.

BEEERENCES CITE);

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES 

